


Forced Neutrality (Kylo Ren/OC)

by AwkwardSilence



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, I haven't decided yet, I need to stop tagging, I'm making my own plot, IM NOT A STAR WARS HISTORIAN, Rivals to Lovers, Slow Burn, Smut, Somebody stop her, Swearing, Why am I tagging as if this were tumblr, Wow my first story, Yikes, alcohol use, and it's a SW Kyle Ron Fanfic, cursing, especially the YJK series, eventual smut??, feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but warning: I might not care enough to fix it, ignoring the sequels plot--at least for 2/3, let's be honest--they had good characters but the story was garbo, maybe???, oh yeah, okay but honestly I'm just salty they banned the book universe, slight reference to alcoholism, stop destroying my bb luke's legacy, that shit was great, unless it's major
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:14:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24194950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardSilence/pseuds/AwkwardSilence
Summary: Kylo Ren was a man of actions. He did what he was ordered, and all of that, for what? To be told to work on his diplomacy and sent to the Outer Rim with some body guard instead of a translator? To say his pride was insulted was the biggest understatement in the galaxy. Saria Yunali was a backwater Bounty Hunter from a planet falling to ruin under the oppressive First Order's rule. No one cared about Parmarthea or her people. So what was a known smuggler and gun for hire to do? Make a deal with the devil, of course. At least it would keep her sober enough to remember her own name, after her last partner nearly killed her and sold her out for not even 100,000 credits. At least she was worth that much!Who knew the devil could be so handsome... and troublesome. Underneath that mask and all that rage that was bubbling under the surface. She was drawn like a moth to a flame, and boy... did she have a bad feeling about this.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/OC, ben solo/oc, canon character/oc - Relationship
Kudos: 3





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SO! This is my first time posting on this site, but I've written plenty of (unfinished) fanfics before! I write mainly to keep all my wits about me, and this story is a guilty pleasure to write a wrong that has been made! Didn't like the sequels. I feel like that's obvious. Hopefully that's obvious? 
> 
> I think I'd better shut up before I get going about it, HA. So i must write a wrong and maybe throw my OC with Ren because let's be real, I'm THIRSTY okay. it is parched over here in quarantine land. Thanks for stopping by and giving me a chance! I can only ever promise mediocrity.

“I’m a sith, not a diplomat...!” His nostrils trembled as his lips pursed in anger. There was nothing he could do to lash out in this moment, no way to release his pent up aggression, and so he shook where he stood, his hands clenched tightly into fists until they were numb.

“You still have much to learn if you ever want to achieve your goals, Ren,” the dark, gravely tone of the Supreme Leader came across the mild static of the hologram. Snoke’s dead gaze stared at him with disapproval at his outburst. “You will go to the Outer Rim and make a treaty with the Huttese families of Tatooine. They control all of the smuggling in those areas—you should know that—“

“—that this is a waste of my time. I could be spending more time trying to find the location of Skywalker," the name left his lips as though spitting poison. Dark amber eyes narrowed in anger, as though the mere thought of the existence of a jedi made him livid to the point of madness. There wasn't much to focus on while traveling aboard the Finalizer. Kylo Ren had no desire to board the First Order's newest toy, Starkiller Base. He thought the plans of General Hux and his circle of insignificant Generals and their little hierarchy served no purpose. They were a bunch of privileged henchman overseeing underprivileged henchman, and at the end of the day, that meant that to him, they were all expendable. His gaze narrowed once more as he realized that he'd been so lost in thought that he'd missed some of Snoke's lecture, although he could readily piece together what was being said without having caught it at first.

"--and you should be more than aware that learning to be... _diplomatic_... has its advantages. In certain scenarios. I trust that, as my apprentice, you will practice discernment in these matters." Snoke spoke with a calm demeanor, though Ren could tell, through the force, that even with the vast emptiness of space between them, his master was becoming annoyed with his reluctance.

"... what would you have me do while there, Supreme Leader..." he finally trailed off, his eyes narrowing behind the mask. His face was, of course, shrouded in his hood. It was unfitting to see his real face. _These low lives were not worthy of the sight._ It was as simple as that. At his words, a hologram showed up above the table, holding a detailed message of diplomatic introductions written in what he could only assume was Huttese. "I shall take this to them. They WILL comply, Supreme Leader." 

"I have instructed you a bodyguard for this assignment," Snoke started again, and once more Kylo Ren felt his rage willing and ready to boil over. "They have dealt with the Hutts before and will grant you safe and unnoticed passage in and out of the different areas of the Outer Rim."

"Master, I do not need a _babysitter_. Allow me to go by myself. I could even take one of the Knights of Ren--"

"ENOUGH." He could, once again, feel Snoke's booming, all encompassing voice all the way from the Supremacy, sending ripples of displeasure through the force so tangible they left a bad taste in Ren's mouth. "You will do as instructed or suffer the consequences. We don't need any Resistance involvement in this little excursion--do you understand me, Ren?" The way he said his name... how it slid off his tongue always managed to send shivers up and down his spine. This fear was how Snoke controlled people-and he was incredibly good at it, too. A fear monger, he was practically the definition of "exploitation". Snoke eyed his volatile apprentice with an amused gaze, knowing that no matter what, Kylo Ren would dutifully follow. A loyal lap dog of the First Order--Ren didn't care what the others called or saw him as. He got the job done. Plain and simple.

He saluted to his master, bowing his head, and he grit his teeth before storming out of the room. Whatever soldiers or generals that had been privy to the meeting made sure to steer clear of their boss in the meantime. It was hard enough just to be in the presence of such an oppressive figure such as the dark knight (batman! oops ruined it, didn't I), but even more pitiable was the fool who stood in his path on a bad day. He was always searching, after all, for a new training buddy. He went through henchman on bad days--lots of them. And the rooms as well, his familiar haunts had the deep black scorch marks of a saber being wielded sloppily-bits and pieces of rage shown in the scoring of the walls. Those were the days they wished they had done something else with their lives. 

Kylo Ren did _not_ need a guide/babysitter. He was determined to make the life of whoever the First Order had chosen hell, purely out of spite. And he was going to enjoy every second of it.


	2. The Outer Rim, a Den of Scum and Villainy

She enviously eyed the puck in the hands of another patron seated along the bar, her violet eyes narrowed with enough emotion to nearly turn them green. Metaphorically, of course. As a terran there was only so much that she could do--she didn’t have any fancy alien hearing or alien limbs or anything. She was jealous of the brown-skinned Clabronian because he was a member of the guild, and she was not. No, she’d had to stoop to other such means of which to make money, and she was in for a big paycheck, but that didn’t mean she’d have to be happy about it. The First Order… what a load of politically-charged bullshit. The last thing the brunette wanted to get involved with was a war, and yet here she was, on the verge of it and willingly leading one of its commanders into the Outer Rim to do dealings with the Hutts.

The Hutts! Another reason she didn’t want to be here. A groan sounded from her lips, and although the droid at the bar was not capable of expressing any sort of emotion, she knew that if it could, it’d be giving her the side eye as she nursed her third drink of the day. Or was it her fourth? Honestly she knew the only way she was going to get through this whole ordeal was if she was drunk. It was common knowledge that people acted different when they were drunk, and Saria Yunali was no exception, except when she was under the influence, she was… quiet. Almost more thoughtful. Contemplative. Reflective. All the things that she should have been able to do while sober, but it was one of those things where that sweet burning taste was only going to help calm her frazzled nerves, and quiet down the buzzing in her head. It was annoying her anyway, and if whoever it was she was escorting didn’t like it? Well then too bad.

Oh, and of course she was not allowed to know her contact until they met face to face. That’s what the pale man with hair as red as the tips of his ears had told her. He gave her a headache, and she had only met the man over holo-vid. There was this smug air that he held around him, and she could just… tell what he was thinking. It was like he was broadcasting it to everyone, about how much he’d do to scrabble for power. And every word dripped with venom, like he couldn’t wait to unload this particular commander onto her, as if he was expecting whoever they were to fail. Saria wasn’t an idiot--she needed the credits, and imperial credits, despite not being as well-accepted as the standard, she knew she could get exchanged for a decent amount of republic credits. Then maybe she could slip off the radar of any sort of organization or group and live out the rest of her days on some less-inhabited planet.

Though, that being said, she would grow bored rather quickly. Her life was always on the move--she had the battle scars to prove it. So she was stuck in between wanting to live peacefully, and the upkeep of her unhealthy habits, such as… drinking. Gambling. Smuggling. Being a bounty hunter. 

The memory reminded her of the time when she used to work for the Hutts and it made her stomach churn again. Once one of those creatures had you working under their stubby little fingers, they made it nearly impossible to let you go for free, or without some sort of debt. Thankfully, her last deal with them had paid her favorably, and she made enough to give them extra and slip away unnoticed. That didn’t stop them from trying to get her to pick up jobs again, but she refused each and every messenger they sent. It wasn’t too hard to hide on Tatooine, but the longer she lingered the more she wondered why Mos Eisley was the place that she had picked as her current place of residence. It wasn’t home. No, home was far away, and yet still in the outer rim. Parmarthea was a planet in the P-18 sector, uncharted on most starmaps simply because of its remote quality and self-contained politics. It had lush fields, beautiful forests, and vast oceans, but its people were… kind of stuck up. A bunch of snobs who had their heads too far up their own asses than to care about the galaxy as a whole. Saria blamed the lot of them for her apathy towards any particular group--you looked out for yourself. A particular scar on her back burned at the thought. She’d had enough of looking out for other people. At the end of the day, the only ass she was out to save was her own. 

She hadn’t known how long she had been sitting, nursing the same drink, when a Thradian male sat next to her, a smug smirk on his face as his undulating appendages that were reminiscent of hair flowed as if underwater. She could feel his eyes on her person, and she pursed her lips, refusing to move from her slumped position on the table.

“Rough day?” His voice was smooth, and if she weren’t technically ‘on the clock’ she might have found him mildly attractive. Instead, she was particularly annoyed, though she remained silent, hoping that he might get the hint and find easier prey. “They say the desert is hot, I’m new to Tatooine, but I’ve yet to experience anything hotter than you.” He… he did not just do that, right?

Saria blinked in surprise, the cringy pick-up line enough to sober her up (not entirely) before her brows furrowed. “Love, I’d give you a horrible case of sunburn,” she offered him a tight-lipped smile as she spoke, finally checking her holo-device for the time. She was going to be late if she didn’t hurry up. The Thradian’s mouth opened and closed in mild shock, and she knew nearly instantly that he wasn’t used to a chase of any kind. ‘ _Privileged ass…_ ’ she thought, her eyes narrowing. “Do yourself a favor, and don’t try that in any more bars any time soon. Welcome to Tatooine, you’re going to get thrashed.”

Slapping down credits for her tab, she slammed the rest of her drink, wiped whatever missed on the back of her sleeve, and left as the droid cleaned her spot as soon as she’d stepped away from the bar. People like him were naive to come to Tatooine and think that everything was going to be the same as everywhere else. No, in this hive? Let’s just say the ‘local authorities’ were also more like ‘local drunks’ and no one would care if your body ended up in some alley. It happened a lot. Walking surprisingly well for a terran female who had downed 6 drinks (what was the number again?), Saria tugged on her cloak’s hood, maneuvering her way through crowded streets as the suns burned the planet’s surface. Venders were shouting loudly in all different languages, and an eclectic group of equally grimy-looking children chased after womp rats in the streets. _‘What a lovely life to live…_ ’ the sarcastic comment lingered in the back of her throat along with the bitter taste of strong, hard alcohol.

She had left her speeder relatively nearby, though she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t worried about the distance it was from the Cantina she had been drinking in. All sorts of shady individuals scrapped for parts and stole as they saw fit, but maybe if it was stolen… the first order would compensate her with a newer, shinier model? The thought was tantalizing, but she didn’t trust them enough to leave it incredibly vulnerable. Her speeder was where she left it, though there were Jawas creeping around the premises. Walking up with purpose, she shooed them away with a narrowed gaze, not afraid to showcase the blaster on her hip when one yelled at her for being in their business. THEIR business? 

“ _My speeder_ ,” she said in broken Jawaese. She was, by no means, fluent, but if you ever wanted parts and didn’t care of their muddied origins, then Jawas were the only creatures on Tatooine to do business with. Cheap business. They laughed loudly at her response, calling her a few unsavory things and critiquing her ‘accent’ as they walked off, off to claim some other idiot’s belongings, no doubt. Wiping any dust off of her speeder, she pulled the pair of goggles from the locked compartment. It was a two-person landspeeder, old model, and it clanked like a war-torn AT-AT but got her from one dune to the next, and she could hardly afford to be picky.

After all, the credits she was going to get from the First Order were going to allow her to buy a ship and get as far away from this stupid ball of dust as soon as possible, after her last ship at to be sold in order for her to survive. It was a stolen vehicle anyway, so she had no emotional attachment to it. Now, she had no time to daydream of a world away from sand, except for the sand on beaches. She needed to be at the meeting place in ten minutes, and she knew that whatever stuffy, old, snobby politician from the First Order that was hoping to do business with thugs the likes of the Hutts was not going to be pleased if she was late…

* * *

It was five till and his ‘so-called’ bodyguard had yet to arrive. Kylo stood outside the command shuttle in the secluded port, dark eyes behind his visor scanning the perimeter as he blocked out the fearful thoughts of the troopers that flanked him. They were nervous, and their fear was of him. It fed his ego, to know that just the idea of this contact being late could potentially set their Commander off gave him strength. The power he possessed over them certainly was intoxicating. The hum of a speeder caught his attention, and he tilted his head. So… they were going to be ‘on time?’ His display read him the time--they had a minute to appear before him. If they were late, he would simply end their life and deal with the consequences (and Snoke) later. 

He was given a short file of information on this so-called smuggler, a struggling Bounty Hunter by the name of Saria Yunali, though he hadn’t seen the woman’s face. He didn’t care--he’d be able to know who she was by merely sifting through her brain. A woman with long brown hair, partially tied up behind her head trudged in, pulling a pair of goggles off of her face, and vibrant violet eyes scanned the group with mild disinterest. “First Order?” Kylo refused the urge to scoff at her idiotic question. Their silence seemed confirmation enough, and she pulled finger-less leather gloves off of her hand to step forward. “My name is Saria Yunali, I’m your contact with the Hutts.” 

Kylo couldn’t care less for the idle chatter, his eyes narrowing once again, although it wasn’t as if she could even see his expression. His thoughts drifted to her mind. What kind of a woman was she? What did she desire (aside from money, no sane person would take this kind of a job if not for the promise of money)? What did she fear? All of the little things that made up who a person was could be manipulated and used against them. His desire to make this little… _excursion_ hell for the woman only grew as he reached out to her mind, however… he felt a shock. Not unlike static, it kept him from entering her mindspace undetected. His brow furrowed in mild confusion, but mostly anger. That was… impossible. He desire to dig for information only grew with the denial he received. 

“We go, we meet with the Hutts, we make one stop on the way back--” she opened her mouth to protest. _That wasn’t on the itinerary_ . He held up a hand and the action effectively silenced her. “We arrive back at my ship, and then, and only then, will you get your credits.” Kylo Ren walked past her, his troopers saluting before retreating onto the Command Shuttle, and that left the girl to stumble out after him. She had to have been in her early-to-mid-20s, and the thought that the Supreme Leader thought he needed this… this _woman_ to guide and possibly protect him? Was ridiculous. She had a blaster on her hip and little to no muscle on her body, from what he could see. Clearly not a disciplined individual like himself. Ren could have done this mission on his own in his sleep, and yet _he_ was the one being treated like a child. It was ridiculous, and he knew that Hux found the entire scenario _hilarious_. 

As Kylo Ren brooded, Saria could hear his sneer through his helmet--they had barely met and she was already annoyed with him. At least in this way they were both in agreement. They couldn’t seem to stand one another, and as long as they both made it out of this whole arrangement relatively intact, she supposed that she would have to put up with it. Groaning under her breath, she caught up to the male, leading him to her speeder. His annoyance, anger, and worst of all, judgement rolled off of him in waves. He was easy to read. “Try not to get too excited…” she growled under her breath, putting her gloves back on as she climbed into the pilot seat, before looking over at the imposing figure dressed all in black, faceless mask glaring down at her. “What?”

“You smell like an entire bar.”

She growled again. ‘ _He’s certainly charming!_ ’ she sneered inwardly, and Kylo Ren tilted his head at the thought. It was the first thing that he had been able to pull from her mind--it was almost as if she was teasing him with the minute information. He hated it. 

“You’re hardly charming yourself,” his modulated voice seemed to reverberate in her ears, and her eyes widened slightly, Ah, there it was. Fear. Just what he had been waiting for. Though he couldn’t quite sense any other stray thoughts from the woman, he enjoyed the way she stiffened as he positioned himself in the seat beside her, the speeder remaining in place as she swallowed hard, her gloved hands repositioning on the wheel a few times as she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. 

“I’ve heard stories of the Commander, Kylo Ren…” she muttered, loud enough for him to hear over the thrumming of the speeder’s measly engine. “Ghost stories, really. Can you… maybe not, read my mind?” She grit her teeth at the way he seemed to straighten out. ‘ _It’s an invasion of privacy._ ’ There it was again. Her thoughts, clear as day. Why could he only hear specific ones, and then that fuzzing static returned?

“How can I not when your thoughts are so _loud_?” His question, though worded rather innocently, had sinister connotation, and she could feel it in her bones. 

There was a brief moment of uncomfortable silence, as Ren glared at her through his helmet visor. He had not corrected her as to whether she was wrong or right in regard to his name, so she assumed that she had guessed correctly. Saria knew of the Force, but mainly considered it some sort of “Magical Bullshit” that she wasn’t capable of comprehending, and so she left the concept alone. No need to look into what she didn’t understand so long as it stayed out of her life, and yet here it was, in the form of this macabre man, dressed head to toe in black, his mask modulating his voice to make him sound more intimidating. She wondered if he was hideous underneath there. She smirked. 

“Have fun roasting alive in that costume of yours,” she turned to look at him out of the corner of her eye. “Now let’s get out to the Dune Sea--it’ll take an hour or so to make it there via speeder. Once we’re inside the Hutts will probably make us wait before allowing us an audience. I’ve sent word of your arrival, but they do enjoy making people wait.” He was curious as to how a woman like her had come to drink and ruin in a place like Tatooine. Of course, not curious enough to care the least bit about who she was. If he’d had any say in matters, he would have her executed by the time they got back to where the ship was docked. His fists clenched as he cycled through the information she was giving him, of course listening, but his thoughts were elsewhere. 

He could only hope that it would be a swift and easy trip, but by the time the dueling suns had reached their zenith, he was already annoyed and tired of endless seas of sand. Everything looked the damn same! Not that he hadn’t been on desert planets before, but he simply wasn’t fond of them. That weakness, however, he quashed deep inside himself. The ride was silent--in an open landspeeder, especially one as clunky and as garbage as this one was, there was hardly a way they could communicate, so instead, Kylo spent his time trying to peek into her mind. The more they drove on, the bolder he got. Saria couldn’t feel him trying to break down whatever mental walls she had up, but she could feel her own drunken haze lightening up the more sober she got. She was perfectly functioning drunk and sober, of course. It would take more than 8 glasses of the Tatooine muck to muddle and incapacitate her. She’d been drinking too long a portion of her life for that to be true. 

But, the more she sobered up, the more she felt a steady… prodding. Always at the back of her mind. It wasn’t a headache (she was entirely familiar with those), but something else entirely, and whatever it was she _hated_ it. ‘ _Of course this kind of shit happens when I’m on a job._ ’ she scoffed internally.

“You have a harsh mouth, for a woman. Although you’re so intoxicated and dirty that it’s hard to tell,” Ren’s modulated voice spoke up over the sound of the landspeeder, amplified through his helmet. Saria dared to look at him, her brows furrowing as she clenched her teeth in anger. It appeared to Kylo that the more sober she became, the more he could peer into her mind. It was… honestly fascinating to him, in a revolting sort of way. 

‘ _Stop doing that._ ’ she growled internally.

“As I said before, your thoughts are far _too_ loud,” the sneer returned, and she bit her tongue to refrain from yelling at him. He reveled in her anger--this appeared to be a good way to get under her skin, and he was going to use every chance he got.

Saria sniffed in anger, her thoughts becoming louder by the minute. ‘ _And you’re a dick._ ’

“The only name you are allowed to call me by, _woman_ ,” he growled and she tensed her hands on the wheel. “Is Commander Ren, or there will be consequences. Do you understand?”

‘ _Perfectly._ ’ another growl within her mind. She supposed nothing was sacred anymore. ‘ _Just what have I gotten myself into_ …?!’ And for once, he held his tongue on his comments, turning his head back to stare at the endless sand. 


	3. There's Nothing Slimier than a Hutt

Most of the ride had been spent in tense silence, and Saria wasn't about to admit that she was starting to sober up. Kylo, on the other hand, appreciated the silence, for once. Sometimes while on the various ships and bases it was nearly impossible to shut out all of the shallow, simple-minded individual's thoughts that flitted around the place like mouse droids, praying for something beyond their station, or just wishing to exist another day. He nearly scoffed at the thought--most individuals were so incomprehensibly weak. It was a natural fact that those who were sensitive to the Force would rule over them. While, yes, he did find the silence enjoyable, it was almost equally infuriating. Every now and then he'd hear a stray though from the woman next to him, but the fact that he couldn't easily go digging through her mind proved that she was a little smarter than she let off. 

Either that or she was too drunk to think at all.

Honestly, how does one expect to impress anyone at all, showing up to an important meeting reeking of the smell of alcohol and the slums of Tatooine? Did she care about her appearance in the eyes of others at all? Though the woman couldn't see it, Kylo was silently studying her figure (it wasn't like the never-ending dunes of the Wastes accounted for much in the ways of "sight seeing"). He had been told her home planet was Parmarthea. He'd never been, nor did he care, but her eyes were definitely different than any other Terran he'd yet seen. They were a deep lavender, and unnaturally so in way that definitely caught one's attention. Right now they were partially hidden by the goggles she wore to protect her from the sand whipping past their faces, and the dark knight was grateful for his helmet. It was hot but he'd sooner be tossed into a Sarlac pit than admit that she was right about dressing so drearily when the sun was high. 

Apparently during his musing must have been the perfect time to speak, and he rolled his eyes behind his mask as her voice barely carried over the speeder's noisy motor. "Listen, we're almost out of the Dune Sea--" she pointed up ahead, and sure enough on the horizon, the sand began to give way to rocks and craggy ground, large terraces of stone rising out of the desert. "The Hutts that we're visiting have large, palace-like structures built into the cliffs. I doubt you need any help," she could almost feel his annoyance. "But I was hired to make sure you come back in one piece. The Hutts are slippery, as I'm sure you've heard. Their residency is like a maze, and they like to make dirty deals in order to get what they want. And they don't like the republic, OR the First Order, so good luck!"

"I don't need a pep talk," he growled dangerously. He wanted nothing more than to shove the woman out of the seat and sent rolling down one of the dunes, left to burn to a crisp in the sun. Unfortunately, for some reason Supreme Leader Snoke thought it was important that he travel with this... nobody. ' _He's probably hoping I show restraint... he picked her because he somehow knew she was insufferable._ ' his thoughts invaded the quiet space of his mind and his growl under his breath only grew. ' _He can believe what he wants, I'll do as I see fit..._ ' Though his thoughts lead him down this path, a shred of doubt appeared in the back of his mind. Doubt that his defiance would go unpunished. For this reason, he stayed as he was instructed--if he couldn't take out his frustrations on the woman himself, then maybe the negotiations with the Hutts might end up being slightly more... violent than anticipated. 

"Fine, ignore me then. I'm only trying to help...!" a growl next to him, still somehow heard over the whipping wind caught his attention. He glared at her out of the corner of his mask; was she still talking? ' _First Order piece of shi-_ ' ah, so he could read some of her fleeting thoughts. But any information he wanted was kept locked up from him.

It was infuriating. Kylo was a strong wielder of the Force, this should be child's play! "If you are not fond of the First Order, why do business with them?" he snapped, the question pointed (though his anger hid his own curiosity). 

"Listen, I don't care about your politics or your ideals, I just want off this fucking planet. It's not too much to ask for, and if I have to work for the First Order in order to do so, so be it. Enough talk, we're nearly there." Her clipped tone ended as she motioned in front of them. By now the tall walls of rock had began to form before their eyes, appearing over the dunes as they approached. The closer they got, the more cuttings he could see, the cliff face riddled with windows and balconies, though no one occupied them. No one was stupid enough to choose to fry outside when either of the twin suns shone down upon that side of cliff-face, and midday marked their descent to the other side of the planet. The speeder slowed down to a halt and skidded into place, the old metal whining in protest at the strain of the ride, settling into place loudly. "Alright, just don't... aggravate them, please? To threaten a Hutt is to ask for bounty hunters to follow you for the rest of your life."

"Is begging the only thing you're good at?" She couldn't tell much about his tone through his voice modulator, but if she had to guess, he was amused. "I'd welcome the challenge--to see how many would fall before they gave up hunting."

"Yeah, yeah, that's great and all, but I'd like to show my face in other civilized systems, thank you very much..." Saria grumbled, her eyes narrowing as she looked up at him. Kylo Ren was an imposing figure, though the closer they got to their destination, the more anxious she was feeling. Again, it was probably the alcohol wearing off--so much for long-lasting liquid courage, she'd have to do this one herself. 

"Take me to the Hutts, _girl_." Saria sniffed dismissively at his degrading title, but she did her job, hopping out of the landspeeder and moving towards a pair of large blast doors that were built into the side of the cliff face. 

As they approached a TTL8 droid extended from the wall, and Saria gave it an unimpressed glare. "We're here to see Yakoska," she declared, her eyes narrowed as she watched it's beady, singular scanner flit between her and the imposing black figure that was Kylo Ren.

"TEE CHUTA HHAT YUDD!" it screeched, and she rolled her eyes. They were all the same. It laughed before disappearing back into its hole, the ground shaking slightly as the hanger-like blast doors opening, rising up from the ground and into the rock, revealing a dark, dingy, barely lit cave. 

"After you, _oh brooding one,"_ Saria gave a grand sweep of her arm in a mock bow, and she grinned as a small noise of annoyance slipped through Kylo's mask. As they walked past the threshold, the doors began closing behind them. Saria turned her head as they walked, watching as natural light dwindled and then was cut completely, the bang of the doors closing echoing throughout the tunnel. 

"No emissary to greet us?" Kylo was unimpressed, that much was clear. 

' _Not much impresses him_.' Her thought was loud though if he heard her, he didn't comment on it. "Technically that's me. I've dealt with Yakoska before. Unfortunately for you, she's a hard-ass, so good luck implementing whatever trade you were planning," the brunette shrugged before a sudden thought brought a snicker to her lips. "Oh wait, you're both hard-asses. Who knows, maybe you're her type?" Kylo rolled his eyes. Why was she still alive? 

Oh, right. He "needed" her. 

The deeper they walked, the more life seemed to creep out from the darkness. The lighting in the tunnels was particularly dim, but Kylo could see well enough through his helmet. Saria's feet, on the other hand, lead her only via memory, the path laid in metal and dirt, footfalls thudding against the floor. The sounds of needless revelry could be heard ahead of them, and the tunnels began to open up. The large cavern was bigger than a spaceport, and it had levels built out of various metals with lots of aliens and species minding about their business. A band was playing somewhere in the background, and various figures of minor importance around the Outer Rim touted slaves on leashes--terrans and twi'leks being their favorites--the thought (and the sight) made her nose crinkle in disgust, but... unfortunately she wasn't here for them. There was no way to go about liberating slaves without getting yourself far too involved, and in over your head, and it wasn't her battle to fight regardless. ' _But your complacency makes you no better than they are._ ' her subconscious urged and she growled under her breath, the noise lost within the clamor of the crowd around them. This was not _her fight_.

The Knight swept his gaze over to his 'guide' as soon as another foolish thought left her. Unknowingly he was continuously reaching out through the Force to try and pick things up from her silence, all while blocking out the easy-to-read thoughts of the thugs and vermin that surrounded them. His eyes narrowed in contempt--he almost preferred her silence. In fact, he preferred her dead, but he would show Supreme Leader Snoke his restraint yet. Saria lead them forward and through the crowd, party-goers parting for them as the sweep of Kylo's cloak brought with a form of commanded silence. Some looked in awe, others contempt, but the strongest emotion that swept through the crowd was, of course, his favorite. _Fear_. They were so incredibly weak that just by looking at him they felt fear, and he relished the emotion as Saria continued to push through individuals, heading for a dais up ahead.

Yakoska was an older Huttese female, though the genders of the Hutts were hard to tell apart (nor did anyone really want to know), and a darker green compared to some of her kin. Notorious for always getting her way, few liked to deal with her unless they were certain they had a way out, as once Yakoska sank her fingers into someone, it was incredibly hard to leave her clutches. She had been a favorite of her father's and remained a spoiled brat even in her older age. An advisor leaned down to whisper something to her, motioning forward as Saria and Kylo made their way up the stairs to her dais. Her tail curled in delight as the brunette strode up, completely ignoring the figure in black that came along behind her. " _Ah, crawling bata tah yakoska, u? Run nenoleeya of moulee-rah um need tah get bata into doe poonoo?_ Mee have plenty of jobs--u were myo favorite." Her tongue ran along her lips and Saria resisted the urge to shudder. 

"You know why I'm here, Yakoska. I'm not interested," her purple eyes narrowed in spite as the slug creature scoffed, shaking her fat head. "I present to you Kylo Ren, of the Knights of Ren and the First Order..." with this, Saria stepped back, letting Kylo stand forward. 

He detested these creatures, all of them. Tatooine had been nothing short of a nightmare and he was beginning to understand why most fools would do anything to escape it. He knew of his family history here, though he chose (mostly) to ignore it. Some of the Hutt's attendees glared at him for not bowing to the creature in front of him, but he refused to do something so demeaning. Even if he was here in order to strike a deal with the Hutts. "The First Order recognizes Yakoska as the head of the Huttese family. Your influence over the Outer Rim is... useful," his distorted voice addressed her directly, to which she gurgled but didn't say anything else. He continued, "The First Order needs movement through the Outer Rim, and has the credits to do so, if you should see fit." A laugh bubbled up from the... creature... and he glowered in her direction, his fists clenching as Saria looked on silently.

"First you take my favorite toy, and then you ask for First Order ships to come through the Outer Rim?" she gurgled some more, the sound reminiscent of the chuckle of a dying man. " _C_ _he peetch_ much."

"You're lucky I ask _at all_." The room chuckled at his anger, though as he turned his head and the others were forced to stare at his dark, glowering mask, many shut up quickly. "The First Order is far more powerful than you realize. We ask nicely _this_ time. Next time you will not be so lucky. I could easily kill all of you here, right now." He could feel his influence through the Force straining, and many glowered as the lights in the room seemed to dim, darkness gathering alongside his anger. "But I won't. For now."

Once again a bubbling sort of coughing laughter rose from the slug, and her big eyes narrowed. "Scare _hoohah_ , but u can't scare _je_." She laughed again, her whole gelatinous body shaking before her large tongue snaked out to wet her lips. "Fine, pay _je_ your creditsss... _Doe_ first order will be fine _noleeya doe_ Outer Rim. _Che ateema_." She motioned her chubby hands, covered in rings and other baubles, to her closest advisor, and he stepped forward, taking the pouch full of credits from Kylo and bringing them to Yakoska, where she looked over them with a golden gleam in her bug eyes. Her attention then turned to the brunette, who had looked on silently during the exchange, her arms folded under her chest. "U will be _bata_ , saria. If they _hagwa_ killya u first, ah ha ha!" 

"The only way I'm ever coming back here after this, dear Yakoska, is if I _am_ dead," Saria grinned, though her face lacked any mirth it could offer as she bowed in jest. This only seemed to make the Hutt laugh harder, and Kylo swiftly turned to leave, his job done. Finally--now he could run his errand and get off this forsaken planet. 

"Stay, drink! Eat, leave whao doe suns have started tah sink," Yakoska grinned, motioning to the party around them. "Or, _m_ _o_ take _wompa_ of _doe_ private rooms _ovv doe_ main tunnel. Leave _whao u waba_." The music, which had stopped when they began speaking, took that as the cue to start up again, and slowly conversations around them rose to another level of unreasonableness. Kylo Ren swiftly turned, tugged at Saria with the Force, causing her to stumble, as he made his way back the way they came. 

"As much as I hate to admit it, Yakoska's right about leaving when the suns have lowered. You're actually going to bake in that getup." This was definitely not the words that Kylo wanted to hear, but he was no fool, and losing a battle against natural elements seemed like a fool's errand. 

"Fine, lead me to these private rooms then." He glared at anyone who dared look his way, and even if they couldn't see his eyes, he was still an intimidating figure. They averted their gaze soon enough, if they hadn't already done so with his presence alone. Saria sighed but did as he ordered, figuring by now that it would expend far too much energy to argue and her voice would be wasted on him regardless. With the room, the partiers, and everything else behind them, he was actually able to think. There were far too many individuals that he could so easily read their intentions, their life story, their darkest secrets. It was starting to cause a migraine, and he was reminded, for a brief moment, of nights on Coruscant, trying to drown out all the voices he could hear at once in the surrounding rooms and the various levels of streets below, though the memory was quickly and forcibly pushed aside and away. 

"Don't... touch anything," Saria warned, pressing her hand to a panel that opened up into a small room. There was a bar and a long couch seated in front of a glass table, no doubt all sorts of sordid deeds occurring in such a place. Saria immediately headed towards the bar, and Kylo resisted the urge to groan in frustration, contempt flooding his veins as he sneered in her direction.

"You're childish, follow your own words and don't drink _again,_ " this time, he did growl, and it stopped her in her tracks, but not for very long.

"Childish?! I'm going for alcohol," it was a weak argument and she knew it, but Saria needed the dulled, warm throb that the strongest liquors could give her. 

"I don't have another term for your behavior, so if not childish what would you call this habit?" he sneered again. She was disgusting.

"An old friend," she sneered back, purple orbs narrowed in his direction. "And the only thing besides money keeping me with you."

"Yakoska missed you," now he was teasing, loving the way she curled in on herself at his words. He'd hit something of a nerve, and he desired to push it till she either shut up or broke. Either way it would bring him some form of piece of mind. "Clearly you could get a job as a filthy bounty hunter again. She even called you her favorite."

"Once Yakoska gets you, it's hard to get out..." her words were softer than even she had been expecting, and they both stood in silence for a moment. Sighing, the brunette shook her head, pouring a small, yet potent, drink for herself before knocking it back in one gulp. Kylo kissed the back of his teeth with his tongue in annoyance and disgust, turning his head away as she leaned against the bar. "So no, I meant what I said. And now here... we wait. It won't be long now." And truthfully, it had taken a little bit of time to get through the tunnels to Yakoska's gathering, so they could begin walking soon and be out and back to her speeder at the right time. 

The silence between them was not unwelcome.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... they really don't like each other, huh? Well, clearly we have to start somewhere. For me, I prefer to break everything apart and then slowly build! I also think it makes the most sense, considering where we're at with Kylo's character development rn. Thanks for reading!


	4. Legacy

Saria looked at the coordinates that Kylo Ren had put into the speeder, following the guidance map in the direction that he had stated. Her eyes narrowed as she held the steering controls with her knees, freeing her hands to tug her scarf around her shoulders more securely. The setting suns meant that it was only going to get colder from here on out, and yet here they were making a detour to nearly the other side of the fricking desert. The least he could have done was tell her where they were going, so she didn't feel like she was being dragged out to her death in the middle of nowhere. They rode in tense silence, only a few words being exchanged once they had hopped back in Saria's speeder. Saria liked to consider herself a good judge of character--of people, but this Kylo Ren figure? There was nothing--it was probably the mask. Eyes were so much easier to read. She could obviously quote some dumb overused expression but that wasn't her bit. She would just stare at wherever she thought his eyes were (if he was terran--she wasn't entirely sure) and hope that he could feel her anger.

Could this man kill her if she annoyed him too much? Probably. But he needed her, according to his Supreme Leader, and Snoke was considered one of the strongest people in the galaxy, so it was all a game of pushing him as far as she could. If he snapped and killed her, she would win the silent battle of wits, and he would lose. Yes she'd be dead, but she'd certainly have the last laugh. Not that Saria had a death wish, she was just betting that for as "scary" and "angry" as Kylo Ren made himself appear to be, his fear of Snoke's wrath was greater.

And whether or not Kylo fully admitted this to himself, she was right. Reaching out using the Force, once more did Kylo begin to try probing the bounty hunter's mind for information. After all, it wasn't like there was anything to do except for stare at infinite sand until they arrived at their destination. Saria felt a buzzing between her eyes, and it was almost as if she hadn't been wearing her goggles. "Can you not, maybe?" she asked the dark brooding male beside her, her purple glare sliding over to him.

Kylo Ren, not that he would ever let it know, was shocked that she could feel the pressure. He wasn't even trying to search very deep--this was... interesting. Of course, he didn't have to respond to her words at all. She could believe what she wanted to, but the feeling went away and her eyes returned to the horizon. Speaking of--there appeared to be something in the distance, slowly appearing over the dunes as the moon rose. It did little to light up the sky, yet still turned the sand white thanks to the lack of cover out in the middle of the Dune Sea. If Saria had to guess, she would have assumed the spires rising out of the ground were used in moisture farming. They were... going to a moisture farm? The little blips on the holomap showed that they were getting quite close, so that appeared to be the place. 

After the first couple of spires came more, and then finally the quarry where the home was, and the dome-like shaped home that was native to Tatooine appeared as well. Seeing as how this was her destination, the parmarthean brought the speeder to a halt, noting the grave stones outside the building. None of the equipment that they had passed seemed like it was in working order, and now that she was closer to the home, it appeared as though it hadn't been touched in many years. Her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to understand what in the world a First Order Commander wanted with some abandoned moisture farm. As Kylo Ren got out of the speeder, Saria moved to follow him, but an invisible force held her within her seat. 

"Stay." He commanded, and the hold on her released. The brunette had half a mind to follow regardless of what he said, but at this point she respected that she had no doubt been pushing his patience for the better half of the day. As much as, at one point, she had considered death as an out to her time on Tatooine, she was far too close to making it off planet to let everything slip at the last moment. Crossing her arms over her chest, she huffed but otherwise didn't argue, remaining in place as Kylo Ren moved to walk into the abandoned home, black capes sweeping behind him as the night stretched on. While waiting for him to return, the female rummaged through her things in the back of the speeder, finding an old poncho and putting it on. It was far too cool to sit outside for long, so whatever Ren was looking for, she sincerely hoped he would hurry up...

* * *

Darkness stretched out within the building, the only glow coming from the dull moon outside as it cast shadows in the stair well. Much of what Kylo's visor showed him was old equipment that hadn't been touched in decades. He'd heard of his Uncle's home, and even more about his grandfather--the man he looked up to--they had both been here at some point. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath. ' _Grandfather... guide me to what I need to find..._ ' he thought, steadying his breath as he tapped into the Force. He prayed to his grandfather, hoping that Vader would guide his path. He was the most successful commander in all of the Empire, and Kylo wanted nothing more than to emulate his ascension to power. Though, despite his desperate plea, he found nothing in the ways of response. A growl left the vocoder in his helmet, the distortion making the noise near demonic in the darkened room. Nothing. Just like usual.

What was he doing wrong? Was he not ambitious enough? Not angry enough to contact his grandfather's spirit? Snoke would say he needed more training, and the thought angered him as much as it sent a shiver of fear traveling up and down his spine. No, if the Force wouldn't help him in this instance, then he would tear this decrepit building apart wall by wall until he found the location to his Uncle. Snoke needed it. He needed it. The era of Jedi was long dead, and so Luke should die with it.

The more he searched, the more frantic and rushed his pacing became. Kylo's noises of frustration continued to seep through his person, until finally he had found himself standing in the midst of the quarry. There was absolutely nothing of interest or anything that was worth the extra time it took with that annoying bounty hunter in order to get here. Finally letting his frustrations out, knowing if he returned to the woman's smart mouth he might behead her, or cut out her tongue, the dark knight un-clipped the saber from his belt and ignited the blade, red light bathing the blue tinted rocks as it overtook the moonlight in strength. With loud, angry yells, and the crackling of his unstable saber, he began to slash at the rock, steam sizzling from the heat different and smoke and rock dust coming off the wall. He cut deep, angry, and unpredictable scars into the sides, not caring what he damaged so long as he got his frustrations out in one go. Each swing, each chunk of rock that smoldered under the heat of the ancient weapon, was brought about by some form of his anger, over one thing or another.

It didn't make any sense! He called out to his grandfather--and received no response in return. Was he not good enough? Snoke said he needed more training, but Ren was by far the most prominent student that he'd ever had. The other Knights of Ren were incapable of using the Force--and even if they were, Kylo had far more control and power in that aspect too. Snoke had even praised him, telling him that with training he would be able to surpass his abilities one day. But there was always a catch. ' _With training._ ' The thought made his upper lip curl back in a sneer. The helmet did little to filter his frustrations. He could feel eyes on him, too. No doubt the noise and the sound of the blade had brought her closer out of curiosity. Saria was a nuisance. A bug to be squashed or some trivial terran meant to be used until useless and left behind, disregarded like the trash she was. 

Such an insignificant worm... he could feel her fear from where he was. Good, he hoped she was scared of him. It might make their trip back to Mos Eisley even less chatty than the ride from Yakoska's to here. He let the frustration of the bounty hunter's infuriating personality drive him further, the cliff face smoldering with the scars left behind by his lightsaber. This whole mission _was_ to negotiate with the Hutts, but Supreme Leader Snoke had also told him that he would find a valuable piece of evidence toward securing his destiny here, as well. Kylo had assumed, that because he was going to Tatooine, the place where both his Grandfather and his Uncle had began, that he would be able to retrace their steps and find something useful that he could work with. The way that Snoke had phrased it made it sound crucial to his growth as a sith, and now, here, finding nothing, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of test the Supreme Leader had set him out on. His patience was tested--his ability to listen and do as he was told was tested... all of it for the merit of his personal growth? No, that couldn't be it. That couldn't be everything that Snoke was talking about. It didn't make any sense!

And that's when he felt it. The tiniest tug in the Force. His actions halted him, and he blinked, tilting his head, mask and all, to the side as he waited. Listening. He tuned out to everything, his panting breaths from his moment of blinding rage slowly subsiding, the noise echoing in his head. His saber's deadly, unstable crackle was cut as he cut the power, slowly, steadily, as if afraid to lose that small connection that he had, he began to reach out to it. Rather than feel older, like what he might have expected to be the Force spirit of his grandfather, this presence in the Force was... raw. It appeared small, but when he followed its source mentally, he could feel the wealth of untapped potential. His eyes narrowed--was there someone who was Force sensitive nearby? There was no possible way anyone lived close to the abandoned farm--Saria's holomap had said so, and he doubted it was someone traveling nearby...

The realization hit him like a sack of bricks. He nearly wheezed audibly, turning back swiftly to stare up at the ridge of rocks where a certain bounty hunter was shivering--out of the cold temperatures or the fear of Ren's rage induced outburst, he could no longer tell. Saria was the only intelligent life force nearby--he could tell that much. Though intelligent was a relative term. ' _She's Force sensitive..._ ' the thought echoed around in his mind. Snoke personally had her chosen for this mission. He had assumed it was because of her connection with Yakoska, an easier negotiator than some of the other members of the Huttese clans. No, it started to all make sense now... somehow her drinking alcohol had numbed her abilities--she must have sobered up between driving back and Ren searching the farm. His gaze hardened as their eyes met, though she could hardly tell with his mask on. So... what did this mean, exactly? 

Ren almost feared the answer. She had, from what he could sense, a lot of untapped potential. That being said, there was no way Snoke would replace him, especially with some whiny, dim-witted bounty hunter. He mentally ran through everything that Snoke had told him before he had left the Finalizer on his personal shuttle. He had said he needed to continue to ' _secure his destiny,'_ whatever that meant. Swiftly turning on his heel, Kylo wandered back inside, turning on a light and being pleasantly surprised to find it still offered a dull white glow, he reached up to the clasps on his helmet. He hadn't even realized he was shaking until he fumbled with his the locks that kept his helmyet sealed, ripping it off once he had successfully done so. He was drenched in sweat as he pulled out a small holopad, dialing Snoke directly. 

The small figure of the Supreme Leader appeared, and he bowed his head respectfully. "What troubles you, Commander Ren...?" the scratchy voice steadily asked, snaking out in the patchy way the small signal offered. "Your mind is at unease..."

"Master, you sent me here for my destiny..." he started, his eyes looking to the floor. "The girl. She is... sensitive." The pleased cackle that followed his words made him shiver.

"I had heard rumors, of course I didn't know their validity..." he started, causing Kylo to raise his eyes to watch as Snoke drummed his long, thin, and weathered fingers along the arm of his throne. "Of a bounty hunter who could convince those she captured into bending to her will. Of someone who seemed to have incredibly speed when fleeing her chasers, and that she was stuck on Tatooine taking whatever jobs she could get in order to get off of the useless rock." Kylo's eyebrows furrowed. "Of course, you wonder why should this news of one girl come to me? And why would it matter? Well, Commander... as you may know I've been searching for more Force sensitive children. I use them to fill the First Order's ranks, all for the security and longevity of the Order. Most don't have enough potential to be anything more than faceless soldiers. They serve their purpose well. Others who have slipped through the cracks in my network of Force-hunters are also usually not skilled enough to even be considered trained, but I wonder... Commander, do you sense potential in this... Saria Yunali?"

Kylo's mouth was dry--he still didn't know where Snoke was going with this train of conversation, but he wasn't in any position to argue with his Master and his only superior. "It is weak, right now..." he started, swallowing hard. "But untapped, and raw. There is wealth in the depth of the Force unlike anything i've felt in some time..." As he spoke, he could see the crooked grin upon the deep space creature's expression. "Why do you ask this...?"

"In order to understand yourself, you first must help teach others. Commander Ren, you are to nurture this bounty hunter, and sire a new sith loyal to the First Order." Kylo's blood ran cold.

It was the worst possible scenario.

"Me... teach? Much less that useless wo-" he started, a growl in his throat that was immediately cut off with a snap from the Supreme Leader.

"Do you question my orders, Ren?"

His mouth close tightly. Gritting through his teeth, he averted his gaze. "... no."

"Then you shall do as I say," Snoke sneered, and even from the amazing distance, all these lightyears away, Kylo could feel a pressure on his temples. It reminded him of when Snoke had first called out to him, from the deep reaches of space. His use of the Force was rather unparalleled. "Return to the Finalizer with the girl and begin her training with the Knights of Ren immediately."

"Of course... Master..." Ren barely made the words in order to reply properly as he turned the handheld transmitter off, anger seething through his being. He could hardly handle her for one day, and could hardly see him handling the foreseeable future in her presence. Much less if he was expected to train her somehow. Hastily picking up his helmet, he snapped it back into place and swift, purposeful footsteps brought him back up to where Saria was now leaning against her speeder. He paused, glaring at her from behind the visor of his helmet. Silence permeated the night as they stood, looking at each other. Her eyes glowed a soft violet in the moonlight--a trait, he briefly remembered equating with Parmartheans when he had read up on her terran-subspecies. His eyes narrowed. This was about _his_ destiny. He wasn't going to believe that any part of that included teaching some drunken bounty hunter, to intoxicated to notice the unique abilities given to her. It was laughable, and if he weren't so livid, he might have laughed in her face. 

"Did you... find what you were looking for...?" her voice broke out of the silence, cutting through the tension and leaving even more in its wake. Silently stalking up to her, Kylo Ren stood tall, at least a good half a foot taller than her. She was weak. He was everything she couldn't even dream of becoming, in terms of power. There was no way.

"No." His pointed, sharp worded answer made her flinch slightly, and he broke off their staring contest as he silent got into the driver's side of the speeder. Saria opened her mouth to argue, but with the way his helmet snapped back at her, she swallowed her unsaid protest, remembering the outburst she had just witnessed. Climbing into the passenger's side, the brunette nodded very briefly to him to signal she was ready to leave. As if he had been driving the speeder his whole life, the engine roared and he took off, back across the desert and toward Mos Eisley once more.


	5. I Shot First!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoo boy brain, please work with me.

When Saria woke up, they were further along back to Mos Eisley than she thought they would be, and her eyes wearily blinked away the first few rays of the dual suns as they made their ascent. Her head lolled lazily over to the dark-garbed individual driving her speeder, and she rose an eyebrow at his unflinching figure. She wasn't exactly sure what to make of him after the previous night. When she had first heard the sound of an activated lightsaber, she had wondered if he had run into some squatters or scavengers who had called the abandoned moisture farm home, but the anger that seemed to emanate from the quarry seemed far more... frustrated than anything. She had approached the lip of the quarry with caution, trying not to make a sound, and yet still she froze as his helmet's visor seemed to snap to her position immediately--it had to be those freaky powers that he was rumored to have. Her eyes narrowed as she remembered the distinct feeling that he was staring straight through her, despite her inability to see his gaze through his helmet. Now as he drove them back to the hanger that they had met at, she couldn't decipher him at all. Not that she could before, but for whatever reason, he felt even more closed off than usual, and she could only begin to wonder what had ticked him off so much last night for him to maintain such rigid posture and a grip on the steering wheel that was surely white underneath his black leather gloves. 

"We'll be arriving shortly," his voice sounded through his vocoder, and she blinked more sleep out of her eyes as she sat up. "I received a report that there has been sightings of Rebel movement in the city, I suggest you prep your blaster, if you don't wish to get caught with a blaster rifle between your eyes." 

"Charming... good morning to you too..." the brunette mumbled, reaching up to feel the section of her hair that was pulled into a bun. There was plenty of strands hanging out and not having the time or care to fix it in the speeder at high winds, she pulled the chocolate locks out in favor of a quick ponytail, purple gaze turning to observe the quickly approaching city. Whether or not he was offended by her words, she didn't care or bother to look. At present she was trying her best not to realize how sick and tired she was of Tatooine always looking the damn same, no matter where you went. The sooner she got her credits and made it off of this ball of dust, the better. 

Mos Eisley was the same as it always was, and driving through the same dirty crooks glared at them as her janky speeder nearly ran them over. The only thing different was as soon as they saw Ren driving, they quickly looked away rather than angrily shout for being nearly run over. ' _That's gotta come in handy--even if you're burning to death they at least stay the fuck out of your way.'_ Saria thought blankly, and, picking up on it due to their proximity and her sobriety, Kylo nearly snorted though he was able to keep himself in check. There were brief moments in the day that the woman's wandering thoughts were amusing, but for the most part the brooding sith lord was far more annoyed by her presence than to find any piece of her being entertaining. He wasn't exactly sure how he was going to tell her that Supreme Leader Snoke wanted him to train her. If he had his way, he'd hoped that she'd managed to die on the way there somehow so he'd avoid explaining to Snoke why the woman was missing. Still... as he viewed her out of the corner of his eye, the sobriety of her nature reminded him of how the Force laced itself around her form. Kylo himself was a powerful user--Snoke had told him he was the strongest disciple he had ever trained...

But Saria... well, let's just say the idea of her being more in-tune with the Force while entirely not believing in it made him want to grit his teeth and punch a wall. If he was to be training this drunken excuse for a woman, then he was going to train himself to be more than a step ahead of her in every way possible. And, he made himself a vow to make her life as his student a living hell. That seemed to be the easy part.

Completely unaware to the brooding mess next to her, Saria began to scout their surroundings, the cylindrical weapon hidden in her boot feeling particularly heavy next to the sith. She had seen what he was like angry, and had little to no desire to have that wrath directed at her in its full capacity. That did not mean the inherent desire to harass him a little bit didn't nag at the back of her mind, but she pushed it back. It was fun, but she was also _so damn close_ to getting her biggest paycheck in a long time and escaping the dust-ball that was Tatooine. After Kylo had told her that there were Rebels scoping out their location, she had chosen to sink into her seat a little bit--the last thing she wanted was to get on some sort of list of "First Order conspirators" so that she'd be hunted by Rebels and pulled into the opposite side of the war that she already wanted nothing to do with. Some might consider her money "dirty" and her morals ambiguous, but honestly Saria was doing this for one reason and one reason only--survival. There was no way she'd do it for anything else. She didn't want to pick a side, she didn't want to get roped up into a "bigger cause."

If her life's choices had made her realize anything, it was that you shouldn't die for someone else's ideals. 

The speeder slowed down and Saria glanced at Kylo Ren out of the corner of her eyes, face pinching slightly in confusion. ' _Why are we stopping here? We're nowhere close to the hangar._ '

"We're already being followed," his voice was short, and he didn't turn his head to look at her. She opened her mouth to argue, but sighed and kept it closed, deciding this wasn't the hill she wanted to die on in the moment. If he said they were being tailed then maybe the best thing was to just keep her head down. Sinking into her seat, she threw the hood of her poncho up, the hood no longer at risk of being ripped off of her head thanks to the wind. The First Order commander pulled into an alley that appeared to be a dead end, and Saria felt increasingly conflicted. Maybe this was really where he was going to kill her? Thankfully not, as she turned her head and caught sight of someone ducking behind a different alleyway, far more suspicious considering they were watching them rather than minding their own business like the rest of Mos Eisley. 

"There should be two ahead of us--move fast and keep your head down unless you want to die." Ren's voice was cold, like always. She nodded, hating following orders from the prickly, brooding commander but not finding it in herself to argue. Saria had to keep telling herself that she was just doing this to get her money and get out. That was it.

Ren hopped off of her speeder, and she did her best to collect anything of value before they began their way down into the alley. It sharply curved at the end, and Saria followed behind Ren's billowing cloak, a sense of danger filling her being as she kept glance behind them, swearing she saw shadows moving in the alleyway behind them as they walked. 

It happened in a split second, and Saria barely had time to think as a shadow above her sent her stumbling into the wall, barely dodging as a humanoid figure leapt in between them from off the roof. She didn't even get to see what species he was before Kylo Ren was igniting his lightsaber and slicing him in two only to spin and catch another attacker in front of him in the jugular, the Bosnian chocking on his gargling blood as Ren swiftly stepped over his body. Motioning for the bounty hunter to follow him, they sped through several different alleyways. The brunette tried to remember each turn, and she couldn't help but wonder if she would even be able to remember where she left it, and if it would still be there by the time she figured it out. 

Unfortunately, the further they made their way toward the hangar, the more they could hear the sound of blaster fire being exchanged, and they basically walked into a shootout between the First Order stormtroopers and Rebel soldiers. When Kylo Ren arrived on the scene, the entire mood of the room shifted to a tense darkness that caused the rebels to shrink back instinctively. 

Their courage was bolstered, however, when a fresh squad of soldiers arrived, flanking on a startlingly familiar speeder. "Hey, what do you think you're doing with me landspeeder?!" she cried out, a growl in her throat as she had to dodge suddenly, getting shot at for speaking up and drawing attention to herself. Her jaw fell open in anger at the fact that they'd hijacked it to use against them, and she winced as the stormtroopers shot at the hull, turning the outer casings into shrapnel. So much for making a little bit of money on the side by selling it.

"For the Rebels!" one shouted, rallying his fellow troops, and soon Saria and Kylo were also thrust into the battle. There seemed to be a group of 30 or so rebels, with one or two injuries and dead already from the group that had already been attacking the hangar. The Stormtrooper platoon was not so lucky, half of their ranks lying on the ground, seemingly dead. Saria's amethyst gaze narrowed--their plastic armor did absolutely nothing to protect them. 

Getting shot at had not been part of the plan, but that didn't mean that the bounty hunter wasn't prepared for it. In the blink of an eye, her pistol was off of her hip. It was an older model--an R-315 Rampage pistol that had probably seen its fair share of war before falling into her hands, but she didn't care about its history. The pistol was reliable, and the cartridges were cheap considering their overproduction during the cold war between the Galactic Republic and the Empire before the turn of the war. She wasn't the cleanest marksmen, catching people in their arms and their shoulders rather than killing them, but fighting alongside the brute force that was Kylo Ren seemed to improve not just the stormtrooper's morale, but her own as well.

She had only heard stories of the commander, and how he moved like a beast on the battlefield, his only thoughts focusing on blood and rage. His movements were rough--the hint of technique hidden behind forceful thrusts and a wild style that seemed just a little too unhinged to be practiced. 

What Saria didn't know, however, was he was capable of elegance, but he was far too preoccupied taking out more of his anger and frustration on these rebel scum that were keeping him from getting this whole training-an-incompetent-woman process over with as quickly as possible.

There wasn't much in the means of cover, just a single stack of crates that hid a few rebels behind, and then the ship where at most two stormtroopers were hiding as the rest seemed to be getting picked off like flies. A rebel came for Saria, and forced the woman to roll out of the way of being shot at. Ren followed her movement, slashing through the rebel before returning his focus to deflecting blaster shots away from the ship, the light projectiles burning into the sandy-clay walls of the hangar. 

It wasn't long before they seemed to be out of stormtroopers, but the rebels were dwindling as well, one even turning and running. "Don't let that man get away," Ren ordered, motioning to Saria. She wanted to roll her eyes and tell him he didn't have the right to boss her around, but she didn't want the man tattling on her either, so she snapped her jaw shut and pointed her blaster after him, a fatal shot to the back sealing his fate as he fell. In a split second, Saria felt a sense of danger behind her, and her eyes narrowed as she dodged, once again narrowly avoiding another rebel as he lunged at her. Her pistol wasn't as lucky, and was knocked from her hands, and she had to do some quick thinking in order to get rid of him. Now next to the stacked crates, Saria grunted, pushing them over with all of her might, burying the man who attacked her, but also sending her sprawling into the sand, coughing as the dust kicked up and made her eyes water. 

The events that followed were pure instinct.

There was the click of a blaster, and Saria's eyes widened--one rebel soldier had gone unnoticed by Ren and was behind him, poised to shoot. She didn't know how it happened, or when, but one second she was on the ground reaching for her blaster, and the next she was poised to strike in front of Commander Ren's back, her gun barrel smoldering as pain raced through her shoulder.

It wasn't the first time she had been shot, and it wasn't the worst injury she'd ever had either, but her tongue kissed the back of her teeth as she did her best to hold back a hiss of pain. The rebel's wound was far more fatal, his forehead steaming and black from where the laser entered and exited. Slumping to the ground, she heard Ren turn around behind her, and her eyes narrowed--he must have been confused, and she was too. 

And Ren was indeed confused, not stopping until all the rebels were destroyed. He'd heard, of course, when Snoke had said that there were rumors of her being fast but he just assumed those were an eye-witness's exaggeration... and yet here she was, having taken a shot for him by appearing behind him in the span of less than a second, blaster in hand. He was annoyed that the woman, for whatever reason, had decided that he needed protecting, but he couldn't find it in him to say much of anything (at least, not right away). Instead, once the room had been cleared, he merely walked up to where she stood, and he merely stood in silence, the only physical tell that he was thinking and not a statue being the slight cock of his head to the side. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, his voice drifted flatly from his vocoder. "That was stupid."

His dry, sarcastic remark actually brought the bark of a laugh from Saria's lips, although the action itself caused her to wheeze as her shoulder with the smoldering hole sparked in protest at the movement. "Gee, how kind of you. I just saved your ass and this is how you repay me?" He didn't respond, and the brunette pushed herself to stand, eyes narrowing as she did her best not to use her left arm in any way. It would heal quickly, and thanks to modern medicine it wouldn't scar if she could get her hands on some bacta fast enough. "I shot first, bastard," she sneered in the direction of the rebel's body, as if trying to brush off the fact that she was shot entirely. "Now, I believe you owe me some credits, _Commander._ " The figure in black continued to stare at her, and the parmarthean woman shuffled in the sand slightly, though she refused to back down. "What? Is this where you kill me so you don't have to pay me anything? Is that how the First Order does business, Commander?" She used the title mockingly, purple gaze narrowed into teasing slits.

"It's "Master Ren," now," Kylo stated finally, voice clearly showing that he was not in the mood to argue with her. 

That didn't mean she was going to let it stop her from asking her questions. "U-um, excuse you?' a nervous chuckle left her lips. "I'm not interested." A disgusted sigh left his vocoder and she snickered. "Now seriously, payment? So I can finally leave this Maker-forsaken planet?"

"It is _Master Ren_ now, and you will accompany me on board the upsilon," he stated again, moving over to the old speeder that was definitely no longer salvageable, considering the amount of hits it took during the shootout. Quickly identifying her things, Saria flinched but caught the backpack as he threw it at her, and she rose a thin eyebrow.

"You... you can't be serious? Right? I didn't know the Commander was into telling jokes," the more she spoke, the more she could feel the annoyance rolling off of him, like waves during a storm, thick and consuming. "I can't get dragged into this--I was once and I vowed never again. I don't want anything to do with Rebels, or the First Order. You guys were just my only chance at a big enough paycheck to buy my own ship!" The more she spoke, the less it seemed like he bothered to listen, though he stood and stared at her after approaching the landing ramp of the First Order command-shuttle. "Y-You...! By whose authority...?!" Saria approached him angrily, raising her left arm to gesture wildly with her hands and immediately regretted it, wincing in pain as her wounded shoulder protested at the movement. 

"Listen to me, girl," his voice sounded angry and lifeless all at once, and her although normally she might have been quick to snap--to correct him on the improper name--something told her to listen. It was such a strong feeling, that she began to hold her breath subconsciously. His hand gripped her forearm, the rough leather on his gloves doing nothing to help him try to be soft as she winced in pain again. "I don't like this scenario any more than you do, but it was a direct order from the Supreme Leader. Would you like to explain to him why I had to drag you by the hair to meet him when he's so _generously_ provided you a position?" Saria winced, but from the threatening promise that came with his words--regardless of whether you supported the Republic, the First Order, or some neutral third party, everyone knew that Supreme Leader Snoke was someone to be feared. His helmet turned slightly, and somehow she knew he was staring at the wound in her shoulder, blaster wounds thankfully cauterizing quickly. "We have bacta on the shuttle. Come on."

He turned without another word, leaving her to stand in the middle of the landing dock, amidst the signs of their rather short-lived shootout. Breathing again, her chest heaved, and her shoulder ached, and suddenly Saria knew that she couldn't run from this. Snoke as an enemy was definitely a bad idea. Sighing, she clutched her belongings to her chest, before shuffling over to the speeder, making sure nothing was missed. She had basically lived in it for the last couple of months, so while she was a little sad to see the hunk of junk go, she wouldn't be sad to leave Tatooine. Fear creeped into her soul, however, at the prospect of the future. She gulped involuntarily, childhood bedtime stories of the evil Empire filling her thoughts as she turned toward the sleek black ship.

One step, and then another, and soon the metal clanked under her heeled boots, the ramp closing behind her, and cutting off the sun.


End file.
